Turbine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet f1. W. H. ELMER.

TURBINE.

No. 443,905. Paten-ted Dec. 30, 189.0.

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NVEMTDR UNITED STATES WILLIAM II. nLnnn., or BERLIN, wisconsin.

TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,905, dated December30, 1890.

Application filed March 27, 1890. Serial No. 345,536. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Il. ELMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Berlin, In the county of Green Lake and State of lVisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbines, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings, in which* -Figure 1 represents a plan view of theturbine; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 3, a horizontalsectional view taken through the inlet-gates; Fig. 4, a detailhorizontal sectional view of the wheel, taken on the line x x on Fig. 5;Fig. 5, a side elevation of the Wheel; Fig. 6, a plan View showinganother form of the gateshifting devices, and Fig. 7 a perspective Viewin detail of one of the wheel blades or paddles.

The invention has relation to that class of turbines wherein the wateris supplied to the periphery of the wheel through a series 0ftangentially-arranged passages extending entirely around its perimeter,and discharged from the periphery at a point below the inletgates th rough tan gentially-arran ged passages, as will b e more fully hereinafterset forth.

The invention has for its objects the production of an apparatus thatwill be very durable and strong, and which will utilize to an eminentdegree the force of t-he water and prevent any waste whatever, as willmore fully hereinafter appear.

In the drawings annexed, A designates a vertical cylinder anged at itslower end and secured t0 the door of the fiume over the opening in thesame. This cylinder tapers toward its upper end and is there providedwith an inwardly turned annular flange. Secured to or formed integralwith this cylinder, near its lower end, is a horizontal frame or spiderB, in the center of which the lower end of the wheel-shaft is stepped.In the side of the cylinder is 'formed an opening which is closed by aremovable flanged plate or door C, whereby access may be had to theinterior of the cylinder for cleaning and other purposes. One or more-ofthese doors may be employed, but one will probablybe found suflicient.

Supported upon and bolted to the upper flanged end of the casing A isthe wheel-casing D, which is circular in shape and provided in its topwith la central opening for the passage of the wheel-shaft. The casingincloses the upper half of the wheel and is provided with lateralpassages a, which carry the water into and project it against thewheelblades in an approximately tangential direction, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 3. Upon one of the vertical side walls of each of thepassages is secured a plate a', the outer vertical edge of which isextended beyond the periphery of the casing, and bent or curvedbackwardly, as at c, forming a wide or liaring mouth to each passage.the exterior of the casing are two rings E E, connected by verticalposts h, which latter are slightly concaved on their inner surfaces tofit closely the circular casing. The rings and connecting posts or barsare preferably formed integral with each other, and the posts equal innumber the inlet-passages a, as shown in Fig. Secured to the rear sideof each post is a plate h', which extends into the adjacent passagenearly to the Wheel and runs parallel with the adjacent vertical wall ofthe said passage. The rear sides of the posts and the outer ends of theplatessecured thereto are curved outwardly, as at b, t0 assist informing the flaring mouths 0f the inlets. The inner or adjacent facesofthe rings E E are also curved or beveled off to assist in forming thewide mouths of the inlets, whereby the water may have a freeunobstructed passage to the inlets. The forward vertical edges of theposts b are reduced or beveled off to fit behind the projecting curvedlips a of the plates c', in order not to obstruct the intlowing water.To vary the capacit-y of the inlet-passages the rings and posts arerotated in either direction. When the inwardly-projecting plates b lieagainst the longer walls of the passages, the latter are open to theirfull extent. By rotating the rings so as to bring the plates b nearerthe opposite walls of the passages the'capacity of the same will bereduced,and by turning the rings far enough to bring the plates hagainst the plates c the supply of water to the wheel may be entirelyout oft. The advantage of this particulararrangement of gates andpassages is that the angle at which the water is projected is always thesame whether the Fitted closely to IOO gates be wholly or only partiallyopen,\\herel the tangential discharge-opening l'ormed by by the l'ullpower ol the quantity ol water supplied to the wheel is utilized at alltimes.

To adjust the gate-rings rotatively l einploy a pair of angle-levers cand pivot the same at diainetrieally opposite points on the top of theeasing,the outerends ot' the radial arms of these levers being connectedto the top ring` by means ol' oppositely-projecting pivotal links e',and their other arms being Connected together by a horizontal rod c, as`

shown in Fig. gl. The pivot ol one ol;I the angle-levers isextendedupward and forms a vertical shaft d, provided at its upper end with ahandwhcel d', whereby the gates may be readily adjusted from the top ofthe ilume. The advantages ol this manner of adjusting the gates is thatall gearing is done awaywith and the gate-ringsare rotated smoothlywithout binding or undue wear. '.lhe old way of adjusting the gates bymeans of gearing is disadvantageous, in that the sand in the water soongrinds and wears the contacting surfaces to such an extent as to renderthe devices unreliable and unt for use, and, further, because the poweris only applied to one side ot the rings,thereby causing them to bindand work hard, as is eviden-t.

As shown in liig. t), l may employ two T- shaped levers instead of tworight-angled le vers and connect their oppositcly-projecting arms bymeans ot chains.

Leading out from the top of the casing isa pipe e, which is carried toone side and extended downwardly a u i table d istance,wh ereby anywater collecting upon the top of the wheel may lind an exit and thusrelieve the wheel ot` any pressure that would otherwise result fromconfined water.

The wheel consists ol;` vertically-arranged radial blades g, scouredbetween the curved 'faces of two conical-shaped hubs or disks g', keyedupon the shalt a suitable d istanee apa rt. The blades are itatthroughout their length, and are arranged in a vertical position andhave formed integral with the lower portion of their outer edgesextensions y. lhese extensions are all curved and bent in the samedirection-thatis, away from the direction of the revolution of thewheel*so as to discharge the matter Yfrom the wheel in a tangentialdirection and into the tube orcylinder A. Surrounding the wheel aboutmidway its length is a ring l1, which is secured to the outer edges ol'the blades and to the upper ends oi. the lateral extensions y, and whichtits against the lower edge ol" the casing l), and thereby serves togreatly strengthen the wheel and steady it in its rotation.

The water in entering the wheel strikes first against the lflat faces olthe paddles and then again against the curved exteiisions of the paddlesupon its discharge from the wheel, thereby exerting its utmost forceupon the wheel. The ila-t blades permit the water, after it exerts itsinitial force at the entrance to the wheel, to pass directly withoutobstruction to the bent portions y ot' the blades. lt'. will be observedthat the advantages el' a tangential l'ecd and a tz'ingential dischargeare brought together and utilized to an eminent degree in this wheel.

'l'he letter 71. designates a wooden step for the lower end olthewheel-shal't, which is provided with a lower reduced portion 71.,fitted into a vertical central passage in the lranie l5, and a n upperlarger portion h', which is recessed lor the lower end ol: the shaft, asshown in Fig. i). A vertical passage h'" may be formed in the step tolet the water in under the shaft, and thereby prevent it overheating.This construction of step possesses advantages over the old lorm. ltsprincipaladvantage is that all lateral wear of the step is avoided, andthe shal't is thereby kept in a true vertical position. tree lronibinding, ttc., until the step is entirely worn out; and a furtheradvantage 'is that the water may circulate freely around the shaft andthereby prevent the binding' and chai-ring of the step, as is evident.In the old forms ot' steps, heretofore used, where the shaft rested ontop of the step, it frequently happened that the shaft would work orwear to one side, especially where the Wood was ot? an uneven texture,and thus cause the shaft to bind in its bearings in the casing; but mylorm ot' step obviates this trouble.

The special objectl have in view in mounting the wheel-casing D on topot a cylinder resting upon the lloor of the flume, instead ol mountingit directly upon the Hoor, is to enable the wheel to be examined (bymeans el openings C) without having to take it. up for that purpose.

llaving described my invention, what I claim isl. The (.foinhination ofa easing, a wheel inclosed therein, the gate-rings andA gates, theangle-levers pivoted upon top of the casing at diametrical points, linkscf, pivotally connecting the outer ends of the radial arms ot the saidangle-levers to the upper gate-ring, these links extending in oppositedirections, a rod e, connecting the parallel arms of the angle-levers,and a vertical-operating shaft d, formed by an extension of one of thepivots ot the angle-levers, as and for the purposes described.

The combination ot' a vertical cylinder A, set upon the iloor ol thellunie, over the opening in the same, and provided with an openingclosed by a removable door, an open l'ranie l, secured in the lower partofthe cylinde A, a. wheel-casing mounted on top et the cylinder, and awheel-shalt stepped in the frame l and carrying a wheel, the said'wheelexten ding troni the wheel-casing into the cylinder A and having itslower end above the lloor of the ilume, as and for the purposesdescribed.

3. The combination oi a shalt, the conical hubs g', keyed onthis shaft asuitable distance apart and having their adjacent faces IOO IIO

eoneaved, vertical flat blades g, secured bel tween these hubs,theseblades being-provided tween these hubs, these blades being,` providedwith lateral tangential extensions g on the lower portions of theirvertical edges, and a ring 7L, surroundingl the Wheel and seenred to thevertical edges oi' the blades, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a shaft, the conical hubs g', keyed on this shafta suitable distance apart and having their adjacent faces concaved, andvertical fiat blad es g, secured bewith lateral tangential extensions gon the lower portions of their lower ed ges, substanlially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. ELMER. Witnesses:

A. L. TUCKER, J. MCLAUGHLIN.

